Hun Manit, second-eldest son of Prime Minister Hun Sen, was promoted to colonel and appointed as deputy chief of the Defence Ministry’s intelligence department last Saturday, after the Royal Cambodian Armed Force’s previous intelligence chief died last week.

Hun Manit, 30, previously held the post of lieutenant colonel. Hun Sen’s oldest son Hun Manet, 34, is a major general and the deputy commander of the Headquarter of Infantry, deputy commander of Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit and head of the Anti-Terrorism Unit.

In addition, General Chea Dara, deputy commander-in-chief of RCAF in charge of Preah Vihear Direction, was appointed as chief of the Defence Ministry’s intelligence department, replacing General Mol Roeup, who died on January 12 at 62.

Mol Roeup had been a key military figure and ally of Hun Sen. He allegedly took part in serious human rights violations during factional fighting between CPP and royalist Funcinpec forces in1997.

Major General Siek Socheat, deputy commander of the front-battle region 3, was also appointed as the chief of the RCAF’s border affairs office.

Pol Saroeun, commander-in-chief of the RCAF, said during the appointment ceremony at RCAF headquarters that the appointments were made based on command experience.

Separately, the National Authority for Preah Vihear and the National Committee for the World Heritage issued a joint statement on Friday, expressing their regret at the recent activities carried out by a group of Thai nationalists, including the erection of a statue of Buddha on the Phnom Trap, close to the Temple of Preah Vihear and well inside the International Court of Justice’s map of the Provisional Demilitarized Zone.

“The NAPV and NCWH strongly condemn this activity, which not only clearly violates the ICJ order issued on 18 July 2011, but also contradicts the spirit of the positive results of the recent General Border Committee meeting between the Minister of Defence of Cambodia and the Minister Defence of Thaland,” read the statement.